Volunteers clear garbage on Bidadari Island

Volunteers clear garbage on Bidadari Island

JAKARTA (JP): High school students, teachers and other
environmental volunteers clear garbage from the Beaches of
Bidadari Island in Jakarta Bay.

Sponsored by Unesco, LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences)
and GE Elfun (a volunteer group formed by General Electric), the
activity is part of a campaign to instill the spirit of
cleanliness and conservation among students.

About 60 students and teachers from six high schools in
Jakarta took part in the one day program on Saturday, that also
included discussions on preserving the environment.

At almost the stroke of noon, about 50 high school students
accompanied by teachers and volunteers moved from the conference
hall and gathered on the beaches of Bidadari Island.

Defying the blistering mid-day sun, the high-spirited group
collected garbage dumped by visitors or washed ashore from
Jakarta. Carrying bags made of old newspapers, they separated the
"organic" rubbish from the "inorganic" as volunteers and teachers
asked them.

"We mean to do something real like cleaning the environment
rather than organizing seminars, which often lacks concrete
follow-up actions," said Ani Raharjo of GE Elfun.

The trip to the Thousand Islands also took the students to the
nearby Onrust Island to have a close look at the ruins of
historical sites there. (pan)